MODERNIZATION OF EVERGLASS ROZET-SAINT-ALBIN SITE

Everglass, subsidiary of the Verallia group and a leading recycler of glass containers, has invested more than €7m in modernizing its Rozet-Saint-Albin site

Emmanuel Auberger, CEO of Verallia France and chairman of Everglass, inaugurated the new installations at the site of Rozet-Saint-Albin, specialized in the treatment of domestic glass. With this investment of more than €7m, the site is now equipped with state-of-the-art technologies to better sort collected glass, thus enabling greater cullet recycling in glassmaking furnaces.

The €7m invested has enabled the existing flint glass sorting machine to be equipped with laser technology, ensuring a higher recovery of optically-separated waste. An additional optical sorting unit has also been installed to optimize the sorting of infusible solids (porcelain, ceramics, etc.) and separate flint from colored glass. In addition, the installation of an exchanger now makes it possible to recover the calories consumed by the waste compressors to preheat the dryer, the most energy-intensive stage in the process. Lastly, load weighing automation thanks to a storage silo improves both circulation and safety on the site.

Up to €1.2m of this investment is supported by the Hauts-de-France region (regional funds associated: FREME) and by the Ademe, as well as by the European Union (EU funds associated: FEDER) up to €0.5m.

Glass is a “permanent” material: it is infinitely recyclable 100% without this operation altering its intrinsic qualities. In France, 74.6% (i.e. three out of four glass containers) of household glass is recycled.

Subsidiary of the manufacturing group Verallia, Everglass treats over 20% of domestic glass collected in France at its two sites in Rozet-Saint-Albin (Aisne) and Châteaubernard (Charente). Modernizing installations at the Rozet-Saint-Albin site will optimize the quality of cullet produced – used especially in the production of glass containers – and in doing so reduce the glass sector’s carbon footprint. Indeed, Everglass proposes to its glass manufacturing customers a cullet of quality that replaces natural raw materials and releases fewer greenhouse gas emissions during combustion in the furnace.

The Rozet-Saint-Albin site annually produces around 230 kilotons of cullet and has 30 employees. Work on modernizing the site called on the skills and talent of a 15-strong team over 8 months, from March to October 2016 and throughout this works period, the site continued to operate.

“Through this investment, we are pursuing our mission as an engaged actor at the heart of the circular economy and confirming our efforts to improve our employees’ safety and working conditions” stated Emmanuel Auberger, CEO of Verallia France and chairman of Everglass.

Everglass’s Rozet-Saint-Albin site supplies cullet to Verallia’s plants in Vauxrot (near Soissons in the Aisne department, 30km away) and Oiry (in the Marne, 80km from RozetSaint-Albin).

”Being able to introduce Brazil to the infinite opportunities of a solar industry is a privilege for J.v.G. Thoma GmbH, and one that we are extremely grateful for. At the same time, this placed the ball squarely in our court, and the pressure to get the ball rolling quickly was high. Now that the lengthy initial formalities are out of the way, we can focus on making this project a success.“

The first DESERT solar module production in BRAZIL! Lets go ....

J.v.G. Thoma GmbH is delivering a DESERT turnkey production line to Brazil, the first of its kind and hopefully the first in many breakthroughs to leave the factory floor on their way to the largest country in South America. With a capacity of 30 MW, this is a small semi-automatic DESERT production line, but still a flagship in terms of DESERT solar module production and electricity generation in the country, now fully functional and ready to start with operation.

The machinery consists of DESERT production machines for high-efficiency DESERT solar modules built specifically for extreme hot climate, such as can be seen in deserts or in tropical areas. Made solely in Germany and built using the latest in DESERT and TROPIC module production, the systems inlcudes all cutting-edge technology.

Certified DESERT solar modules, DESERT containers, DESERT power plants and DESERT manufacturing machinery built using pioneering DESERT and TROPICS technology are now fully set up, and ready to perform. But powering on the machinery has been a long time coming. Up until recently, this advanced piece of equipment had been waiting for clearance at a port in Brazil. Now that the formalities have been dealt with, both J.v.G. Thoma and its customer in Brazil can get production under way.

J.v.G. Thoma GmbH is a company whose vision has always been to harness the infinite power of the sun and convert it into an inexhaustible supply of energy. But a vision such as this requires global reach, and this project has opened new doors. Brazil is not only a gateway to South American cooperation, but also the launchpad to international reach and expansion.

Following the delivery of this initial order, J.v.G. Thoma GmbH will be looking forward to an ongoing collaboration with the Brazilian company. From setup and initial training to setting the scene for a ramp up, J.v.G. Thoma will be there to provide expertise and assistance. Moreover, the company will be jointly responsible, along with the client, for the successful integration of the DESERT solar module factory.

In the future, bigger DESERT power plants will be set up on Brazilian soil, and together with existing turnkey production systems, they intend to take up a large share of the products and assets this sector will possess locally. J.v.G. Thoma plans to build up a local network of sales agents that can extend a premium offering to neighbouring countries in South America. Eventually, the company hopes to be able to expand its customer base to clients in North America.

Hans Thoma, general manager from the Thoma-group, is eager to acquire a substantial market share in Brazil, a growing country with tremendous potential for solar energy output. Having complied with local official procedures (Inmetro, TÜV, Fraunhofer CSP) and cleared the way for future business collaboration, he expresses his hope that the solar industry will henceforth expand quickly.

”Being able to introduce Brazil to the infinite opportunities of a solar industry is a privilege for J.v.G. Thoma GmbH, and one that we are extremely grateful for. At the same time, this placed the ball squarely in our court, and the pressure to get the ball rolling quickly was high. Now that the lengthy initial formalities are out of the way, we can focus on making this project a success.“

The first DESERT solar module production in BRAZIL! Let

Source: Verallia